The Measure of a Man
by Queenofpearls16
Summary: Miranda is looking for something one day, but instead stumbles across something interesting. Little did she know that that day, she would find out Roland's secret he had kept hidden from her; from everyone... Based off the Kenny Rogers song; "Coward of the County".


**The Measure of a Man**

Summary: Miranda was looking for something one day and happened to look in Roland's drawers while he was busy working in his office. But, little did she know that that day, she would find out Roland's secret he kept hidden from everyone, even her... Based off the Kenny Rogers song; "Coward of the County".

 **Disclaimer: I don't own this show or anything affiliated with it. I also don't own the song by Kenny Rogers, though it's a great song nonetheless.**

Miranda opened each drawer of his dresser, looking for her misplaced necklace, thinking one of the maids might have picked it up with his clothes or something. She looked under his clothes in each drawer, trying to find it.

When she lifted the clothes in his bottom drawer, however, she uncovered something interesting. She picked the object up and examined it closely. She knew what it was, but she didn't know why Roland would have one.

She looked at it and looked at it over and over again. She couldn't believe her eyes. She couldn't believe how and why her husband would hide this from her. She didn't understand why he kept it a secret from even her, his own wife. She could understand keeping it from the children, but her? There wasn't supposed to be any secrets between them, or so she thought. She closed the drawer, keeping the object in hand, and stood up. She crossed her arms over the thing to keep it hidden from plain sight. She didn't want any staff walking by and getting the wrong idea about her.

Finally, she hurried into Roland's office and shut the door, still keeping the small object hidden from his view. He was too focused on his papers that he nearly didn't hear her come in. And while she admired his hard working spirit, there were some things more important, like receiving the answer to her questions.

"Just a moment," he said his eyes scanning the page. Finally, he lifted his eyes and looked at her with a confused expression clearly written on his face. "Miranda? What are you doing here?" he said standing up behind his desk.

"Roland," she said seriously. "I'm going to ask you a question and I need you to be completely honest with me, okay?"

"I-I'll try," he said still confused.

Miranda took a breath to calm her anger. Boring his eyes into his, she asked with all seriousness, "Do you smoke?"

Roland's face was more confused than Miranda had ever seen it. Then, all of a sudden, he burst into a fit of laughter. Now, it was Miranda's turn to be confused as Roland caught his breath.

"Ho-okay. That's a funny joke Miranda, but I have work to do."

"I assure you, it most certainly is not a joke. I am dead serious," she said using her stern, motherly tone with him. She inhaled through her nose to calm her welling anger. "Do you smoke?" she asked again.

"I tried it once when I was a boy, but I didn't like it, so I never did it again," he admitted. "Why do you ask?"

Miranda bit her lip. "I-well-I was l-looking for something and I just happened to come across this in your bottom drawer," she said showing it to him. "Is it yours?" She asked.

A small smile graced his face when he looked at the small item. "Yes," Roland said walking over to her and taking the item in his hands. "I-it was my grandfather's."

"Oh."

Miranda looked down in shame. She really had expected the worst of her husband. She started off not believing him, but now she doesn't believe herself. Why would she think such a thing? Why would she automatically assume the worst and jump to the conclusion that her husband was a smoker. What a silly thought!

"Then why do you have it?" She asked.

"It's a memorabilia of him. I keep it as a reminder."

"Oh. So, you don't smoke then?"

"Except for the occasional tobacco leaves, no."

"Wait, seriously?"

Roland chuckled. "No, I'm just kidding."

Miranda playfully slapped his chest with the back of her hand. "Roland! Don't scare me like that!"

"I'm sorry," he said still chuckling. "But you know everything about me. Did you honestly think I wouldn't tell you that I smoke a pipe?"

"Well, I hope you would!" She said. "But then again, one can never know," she said.

Roland suddenly wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her tightly against him. Looking seriously into her eyes, he said, "You can always know with me. I have never kept anything from you, and I never will."

"Neither will I," she said honestly.

"I love you Miranda."

Miranda smiled. I love you too Rollie."

Roland leaned down and covered her mouth with his gently, but lovingly. She returned his kiss with love and conviction. She wanted it. She needed it to remove all the doubt and anger that had once filled her mind. After a few moments, they broke away and Roland looked at the pipe still in his hand, keeping her tightly secured against him in his arms.

"So, you tried smoking as a child?" she asked.

He looked down at her and sighed. "I did, once. I saw my grandfather smoke and he offered it to me to try. So I did and it didn't go so well."

"What happened?" Miranda asked.

"I took in a breath like I had seen my grandpa do many times. But I guess I didn't do it right. I ended up coughing the smoke out of my mouth. After that, I never did it again. It was a mistake I'm not proud of, but a valuable lesson was learned." Roland looked at the pipe in his hand and shook his head slightly. "Blazing thing," he mumbled but Miranda heard.

"Why is it a 'blazing thing'?" She asked.

"It killed my grandfather, that's why. He smoked this thing for many years and he let it kill him."

"Why didn't he just quit?"

Roland smiled, almost laughing at why she didn't know. "I take it you've never smoked before?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No. I never could afford it."

"Well then, let me tell you a little story about my past. Come, sit."

He led her over to a small couch and they sat down. They positioned their bodies so they were kind of facing each other, their knees almost touching. Miranda's ears listened attentively to what he was about to say. Roland took a breath and began.

"Long ago when I was just a boy, my grandfather would often come to visit us at the castle. And when he would visit us, he would often go outside to smoke, which led to me trying it as a young boy..."

"Wait; is this the same grandfather you spoke about in the 'King Gideon and the Castle Trolls' story?"

"Yep, the very one. So his smoking went on for many years. My father the former king wouldn't allow his father to smoke around Tilly and I. So he would go outside and do it, as I mentioned before. Are you following so far?" Miranda nodded and Roland continued. "A couple years went by and my grandfather developed this cough, that wouldn't go away. My grandmother made him go to the doctor and he told him that he needed to quit smoking, or he would die. But my grandfather was old and stubborn; set in his ways. He wouldn't quit, though I do think he tried a few times. But even though he tried, he just couldn't give up his pipe." he said using the pipe to gesture with his right hand holding it.

Roland paused and looked down at the pipe in his hand. Miranda noticed that he was caressing it with his thumbs. Tears came to his eyes, but he blinked them back. Miranda could tell that he was struggling to keep his composure. She reached over and put her hand on his leg. He looked down at her hand, then up at her. She gave him one of her signature encouraging smiles that always made him feel better. Roland put his left hand on top of hers and smiled slightly. He swallowed hard, took a breath, and continued.

"It didn't take long for the cough to get progressively worse. It got to the point where he struggled to breathe and was gasping for air. On his death bed, he asked to see me, and my father let me in the room, despite my mother's objection. When I walked in and saw him laying there, I remember being filled with many different emotions at once. I walked over to the edge of the bed and I remember him looking at me. I'll never forget what he said to me that day.

"He said to me, 'James,' which is what I was called as a boy. He said, 'Son, my life is over, but yours is just beginning. Promise me you won't do the things I've done. If you can, walk away from trouble.' I remember him reaching for his pipe that was next to him on the nightstand. He handed it to me and I took it, looking at him. 'It doesn't mean you're weak if you turn away from trouble. Take my pipe and hold on to it as a reminder to never, ever smoke. All smoking does is get you where I am now. I hope you're old enough to understand. James... You don't have to prove anything to anyone. You don't have to smoke to be a man.' From that day on, I made it my resolve to listen to him."

Roland picked up the wooden pipe that set on his lap. He looked at her and said, "I keep this pipe as a reminder of the mistakes my grandfather made in his life. Looking at it reminds me not to ever smoke. He told me that once you start, it becomes a habit that's extremely hard to break."

"So that's why you never did it again, because you knew of the consequences."

"Yes. It's truly amazing how one small object such as this can kill someone. But only if you let it and my grandfather did. He regretted his mistake, but by then it was too late."

"Have you told anyone else this story?"

Roland shook his head. "No. My family knows because they were there when it happened. But as far as Amber and James go, I suppose it's a story for another time, a later time when they're old enough."

"I understand Rollie," Miranda said.

Roland sighed and smiled. He leaned down and captured her lips with his. "Thank you," he said when they broke away. "And please Miranda," he said cupping her cheek with his hand and caressing it with his thumb. "Please don't ever doubt our trust for each other ever again. You nave no reason to."

Miranda smiled, nuzzling into his touch and placing her other hand on top of his on her face. "I promise you that from now on, I won't. And you know what I always say about breaking promises."

Roland smiled and recited her signature quote. "'that they can never be put back together if they're broken.'"

"That's right," she said.

Roland wrapped his hand around her back and pulled her into his lap, albeit awkwardly. But Miranda didn't care. She just smiled as she looked down at him. Roland's hands and arms wrapped around her waist and a loving smile graced his features.

"You know what else will never be broken?" he asked.

"No, but I think you're going to tell me."

Roland smiled. "What will never be broken is the loving bond that we share between us. It will last until the end of time. I guarantee that, because I love you far beyond words define."

Miranda smiled. "I love you too Rollie."

"That's good."

"Did you think I didn't?" she teased.

"No, but you returning my love gives me all the more reason to do this."

She didn't have time to ask what he meant, for in the next instant, he covered her mouth with his and kissed her passionately and fiercely. So for the next two hour or so, they spent their time, undisturbed, in each other's arms, talking and laughing. And as for the pipe; it lay nearby them until Roland could put it back where it was.

From that day on, whenever Roland looked at it, he saw that same reminder not to be like his grandfather; not to make the same mistakes he did. But now, Miranda saw it as a reminder too, and whenever she looked at it, she would always remember to never doubt her husband, and to always trust him. Roland and Miranda both learned a valuable lesson in that story. The true measure of a man is to learn from yours and other people's mistakes, and not repeat them. That's exactly what Roland did.

 **A/N: Hi guys. So this is a bit different than what I normally do, but I thought, "Hey, why not right?" So there you go. I have never smoked but I've been around it and I hate it. My parents used to smoke but they quit long before I came into the picture. They told me how awful it is, and as long as I live I will never even consider it. It's a very hard habit to break, and my grandfather died of emphysema. I imagine that's what Roland's grandfather died of too. Anyway, the thought came to mind, and this is what happened. Hope y'all liked it. Don't forget to R &R!**


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